Tips for Managing Both Your Small Business and Parenthood

While parenting and running a small business at the same time sounds like an extreme sport, it can be manageable. This is because a small business, like a child, requires a lot of time, attention to detail, and care to ensure it succeeds. With this said, have a look at the four tips below on how you can excel at both.

Create a Routine

Creating a daily routine is a great way to manage your time. It makes it easy to stay on top of house chores as well as daily business activities. The discipline that comes with having a routine makes it possible to accomplish more within a set time. When you have everything that needs to be done lined up and ready for execution, you can accomplish more.

You can also create a monthly timetable for important things like doctors’ appointments for the family, as they can be scheduled and planned for in advance. Routines are easy to follow, as they prepare the mind early on what needs to be done and when it needs to be done. With almost 28 million small businesses currently in the United States, there are many people in the same situation as yours and this shows you that it’s doable.

Set Achievable Targets

Since you cannot clone yourself to perform two or more demanding tasks simultaneously, make sure to set targets that you can achieve without burning out. Everyone has a limit, so don’t try to achieve too much in an unreasonably short time and without help. Also, understand that things go wrong sometimes, so don’t beat yourself up over things not working out sometimes. Set realistic timelines for both your family and clients. This will give you credibility and trust, allowing you to deliver your best to both your family and your business.

Ask for Help

Asking for help doesn’t mean you’re incapable of handling your tasks but is instead a good way of making things work effectively without putting yourself under a lot of pressure. This help can be from your spouse or any immediate family member for household chores like vacuuming your carpet, which you’re recommended to do at least twice a week.

Watching younger children can be outsourced to a babysitter at times so you can focus on your business. If there are work duties that can be done by someone else, designate the tasks accordingly. Ask for help when you feel like your work-life balance is not being realized and things are getting overwhelming. Getting help keeps your time free and flexible so you are able to handle matters that require your expertise.

Involve Your Children

Involving your children in the daily routine at home and also in your business will compress your business management and parenthood into a single, manageable box. Kids love to help, so why not use their help as a fun, inspiring experience while getting things done?

Now, you won’t assign your children work tasks. You may need to outsource your business taxes to a professional, as the IRS can audit any businesses’ tax returns within three years of filing. You may also outsource your marketing and digital marketing strategies to experts.

However, at home, you can assign your children important chores so that they learn responsibility while you’re at work. They can load and empty the dishwasher, sweep, set the table for dinner, and clean their bedrooms so that you can all enjoy family time each night.

Small business management and parenting are each delicate activities on their own and they can become complex when you run them concurrently. It’s possible, however, to succeed at both by following a few tips like the ones outlined above. Finding the perfect balance is important to ensure that neither is depleted of time and resources.